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chefs waiting for orders

KCP Student Brody Stejskal’s Take on Rotary Sushi Places

Over the weekend, I went to a rotary sushi place for the first time. Rotary sushi places, also called Kaiten sushi, are trendy sushi locations that have recently expanded beyond Japan and are now becoming a hit around the world. This one, however, was located near Shinjuku-Sanchome Station, not too far from KCP. From the inherently fascinating concept of food on a conveyor belt to its affordability to the delicious sushi I had, here are some of my thoughts and recommendations about my crazy cool culinary experience.

When I first walked into the Kaiten sushi restaurant called Shion, I was greeted by the sight of dozens of dishes that seem to wind throughout the restaurant. I quickly took a seat and was surprised by just how quickly I could order—that is, I could order right away!

Kaiten 回転, translates to rotation in English. this particular sushi restaurant is near KCP,

Kaiten 回転, translates to rotation in English. this particular sushi restaurant is near KCP, but many more are just like it.

At rotary sushi restaurants, the price of the sushi is determined by its plate. Here, a plate without any design on it costs about 1 US dollar, whereas a plate with a design costs about 2 US dollars. I even saw people taking requests from the chefs, receiving their personal from the master craftsman. Overall, this is a novel and fun way to eat sushi, even for a novice like me!

Another perk of rotary sushi is its affordability. With the one and two dollar options, it is incredibly easy to keep track of how much money you spend on the meal—you simply count the number of plates at your table! No longer would I have to keep a running tally in my head—one maguro, three unagi, 2 tamagoyaki, I could focus my attention on the meal itself. By the end of the meal, I had only spent 15 US dollars and was completely satisfied.

Fatty tuna which can run your wallet upwards of $4 piece was only $1 a piece here.

Fatty tuna which can run your wallet upwards of $4 piece was only $1 a piece here.

Although I was initially concerned about the quality of the food at a rotary sushi place, I found that the restaurant surpassed my expectations and offered sushi that rivaled the more traditional establishments nearby. My two favorite sushi were the maguro and the tamagoyaki. The maguro, which is fatty tuna and easily distinguishable with its thin white stripes, was fresh and generously sized. The tamagoyaki is yellow egg sushi. Although this isn’t raw fish, it was nevertheless delicious and 2 pieces for only 1 US dollar, totally worth the price. The restaurant also offered hot water, with which you could make matcha tea.

Tamagoyaki is a sweet and fluffy scrambled egg slice, usually lain over rice.

Tamagoyaki is a sweet and fluffy scrambled egg slice, usually lain over rice.

Overall, I had a fantastic experience at the Kaiten sushi restaurant. Although I was initially apprehensive about its unconventional approach to sushi, my fears were quickly alleviated and I had a delightfully delicious meal and can’t wait to try out some other kaiten sushi restaurants nearby!

Click here to read more of Brody’s posts!

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Read all about Japanese immersion learning and studying abroad. Check out our eZasshi archives for more articles!